The Irish language has been spoken in Ireland for over 1,000 years. It’s an ancient Celtic tongue that was brought to Ireland by the Celts, who settled there around 500 BC. Today, the Irish language is still used in everyday life, especially among older people.

The Irish Language Is Older Than English.

The Irish language is older than English. In fact, it’s one of the oldest languages in Europe. It’s also the only surviving member of the Indo-European family of languages. This means that it shares some similarities with other European languages such as French, German, Spanish, and Italian.

Ireland’s Name Was Changed From Éireann To Éire In 1849.

After the Great Famine (1845–1852), the government decided to change the name of the country from Éireann to Éire. They did this because Éire was an anglicized version of the Irish word Eirinn, meaning “Ireland.” However, the new name didn’t stick. Instead, people started calling the country Éire again.

Irish Has Been Used As A Written Language Since 900 AD.

In the early Middle Ages, Ireland was divided into four provinces called tuathas. Each province had its own language, and each tuath had its own dialect. These languages were called Gaelic, and they evolved into modern Irish.

Irish Speakers Are Now More Commonly Found Outside Of Ireland.

Today, there are more than 3 million people who speak Irish as a first language outside of Ireland. That number has grown by nearly 50% since 2000. As a result, Irish speakers are now found in countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and even South Africa.

Irish Speakers Are Also Increasingly Spreading Across Europe.

In addition to growing numbers of native speakers, Irish is also becoming increasingly popular among non-native speakers. This is because Irish is one of the few languages that is spoken across Europe. It’s also one of the easiest European languages to learn.

Read our interview with our Iris translator here